Special Populations I Work With

Contact Benita A. Esposito

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I specialize in Marriage Counseling, Couples Counseling, and Individual Psychotherapy with adults. I also facilitate Couples Retreats and Workshops using Dr. John Gottman's work and Dr. Sue Johnson's "Emotionally Focused Therapy" -- 40 years of research on how to create healthy loving relationships. It's my joy to help you find the most efficient path using my four decades of clinical experience. I can also help you with stress management, anxiety, depression and healing trauma (PTSD).

If you are looking for faith-based counselingfrom a Christian perspective, you've come to the right place. I was raised in the Methodist and Presbyterian Church, and now I belong to the Episcopal Church. You do not have to be Christian to use my services. I counsel people of all faiths who value grace and unconditional love.

Individual Counseling:People initially come to counseling to heal what hurts, and I'll help you do that. But that is not enough to create a truly flourishing life, and that is what I want for you. I'll help you excavate and express your Authentic Self, rooted in your core values, and what is most meaningful in your life. Experiencing personal mastery, healthy loving relationships, and a successful career go a long way towards eliminating depression and anxiety.

If you are a highly sensitive person, I would love to work with you. Take the
quiz at www.sensitiveintrovert.com
to see if you are a highly sensitive introvert. I am a highly sensitive person (as
described by Elaine Aron’s book, The Highly Sensitive Person).

Two websites:www.Flourishing-Lives.comwww.SensitiveIntrovert.com (for highly sensitive people who are introverted)

I especially love learning about neuroscience and attachment theory.
When the bond in our loving relationships weakens or shatters, it hurts
just as much as if we were physically hurt. Sometimes, it’s gut
wrenching. Asking a highly skilled therapist who specializes in couples
counseling is your wisest choice to recover from a relationship injury.
My goal is not only to help you heal, but to go beyond healing to create
a truly flourishing relationship. Even more fulfilling than before. I
will help you experience the security of a safe bond where you feel that
your partner truly understands you and supports you.

We spend the first part of our lives trying to do what we think will create fulfillment. But, then in mid-life, after discovering the shortcomings of our approach, we are pulled to look deeper. Although pain and suffering are difficult, and we would rather avoid them, they compel us to explore our lives at a whole new level. Only then can we lay down the old ideas and behaviors that have been unwittingly hurting us. The Authentic Self (who God made you to be) can emerge and shine brightly. This is required for healthy relationships, and physical and emotional health.

With my holistic body-mind-spirit approach, people spontaneously arrive at their own insights. When you experience epiphanies and aha! moments, the wisdom becomes deeply integrated. It's yours for a lifetime. If a therapist just tells you what to do, or how to think, it will have minimal sticking-power. Talk-therapy alone is not as effective. You can use my Relaxation CD in the privacy of your own home."A Journey Into Wholeness CD" helps you increase self-esteem, manage emotions, enrich spiritual intimacy, and heal emotionally. I facilitate you through deep breathing and relaxation skills. Listen to a sample.

EducationI am a licensed professional counselor (LPC). I earned a master’s degree in clinical psychology (1976) and a bachelor’s degree in psychology (1973) from Illinois State University. Fascinated with the untapped potential of human beings and body-mind-spirit healing, my master thesis researched methods for pain elimination without drugs, which included biofeedback and meditation techniques. I have completed advanced courses in Couples Counseling: Emotionally Focused Therapy by Sue Johnson, and Gottman Method Couples Therapy by John and Julie Gottman. Both methods have been heavily researched and found to be highly effective, unlike other couples therapy modalities. I am a certified Gottman Educator.

Personal Interests: Living a healthy, balanced life is one of my highest priorities. I walk my talk. I love being in the beauty of Nature: hiking along streams through a forest, gazing upon waterfalls, breathing in the fresh air, and swimming in our mountain lake. My favorite hobbies are flower gardening and rowing. (A rowing shell is a long skinny boat with 9-foot oars like you see in the Olympics). This serene moving meditation feeds my soul and strengthens my body. I designed and built my own home high on a mountain overlooking a lake nestled in the Chattahoochee National Forest and Blue Ridge Mountains of North Georgia. You will get to enjoy this if you attend my retreats. I cherish living in a quiet community, one of the most beautiful places in the world, free of rush-hour traffic and crowds, and close to friends.

Testimonials

“When we started the weekend Private Marriage Retreat, I was seriously considering divorce, but now I am hopeful that we can take our marriage to a whole new level. We feel so blessed to have spent time with you, and realize that we could not have gotten to a better place without your support, skills and guidance. We are looking forward to continuing to heal, communicate effectively, and truly love one another. ” – Anonymous to preserve confidentiality

“I am married to a physician, and I am his surgical assistant. I finally feel like we are a team, working together to heal. God bless you for helping the healers to heal. I had no idea that I could reach the deep level of healing that we did in such a short amount of time. For me to move out of my head and into my body was what I truly needed in order to feel, really feel, what was inside.” – D.C., RN

“I continue to be thankful for all I have learned about my inner world and resources. I think of you with gratitude when I need to draw upon those places in me. I still remember the day I heard you say. “Do you want to be like an oak tree? When everything tries to shake you, your roots are anchored in the ground.” I really wanted that, but did not think I could be it. I have reaped the rewards of those days many times over. All the tears, fear, pain, money, hassles and being humbled was worth it. I cry as I think of the tenderness and love with which you helped to birth my Authentic Self. Where would I be today without that work? Not where I am. If only you could meet the man I have drawn to me. My husband takes my breath away with his exquisiteness. Never could I have been with such a man in such a way with out all of my past and all of the work we did, you and I.” – P.B., RN

“My husband and I did therapy with you 18 years ago when he lost a job and our marriage was floundering. After 51 years, the marriage is more solid than ever and you helped us see the right road to travel. We will always be so grateful to you for your insight and wisdom.” – JCS, classical guitarist